Changes
by welleg
Summary: One case changes Nick and Greg's lives forever. Spoilers for "Gum Drops" and "Fannysmackin.'" Nick/Greg relationship.


A/N: Contains spoilers for 6x05 "Gum Drops" and 7x04 "Fannysmackin.'" Written for the elemental ficathon for Geekfiction on LJ. My prompt was lake.

_I used to love going to the lake, but not anymore._

_Cassie McBride, "Gum Drops"_

* * *

"Listening to Cassie tell what happened – it broke my heart Greg." Greg wraps his arms tighter around his boyfriend.

"I know, Nicky. You're much stronger than me though. I wouldn't have been able to do it. You're just good with kids."

Nick sighs. "Greg, remember that conversation we were having the other day?"

"The one we were having when you got the call out to Pioche?"

"Yeah that one."

Greg groans. "Yeah, I remember."

"You didn't seem very enthusiastic about it then, either."

Greg looks at Nick incredulously. "We were at work. That's not exactly the best place to be having a potentially life-altering conversation. Neither is bed."

"I meant what I said Greg – I think you'd be a great dad."

"At least you're not going 'she followed me home, can we keep her.'"

Nick turns in Greg's embrace so that he is facing him. "What the hell?"

"Cassie. You've gotten attached. And can we please continue this conversation after we've gotten some sleep?"

"Fine," Nick mutters. "It's just…:"

"Sleep now, talk later. Love you, Nicky."

Nick snuggles into Greg. "Love you, too. Night Greg."

"Night." Greg watches over Nick until he is sure his boyfriend is asleep and then follows him into slumber.

* * *

Greg wakes up to the aroma of bacon and eggs, which means Nick is not going to let him get out of the whole 'should we have kids' conversation.

"Trying to bribe me through my stomach. How noble of you."

"I'm not trying to bribe you. We just can't keep putting this conversation off Greg. We've been dating for almost three and half years, living together for almost two and half. This is a conversation we should have had a year ago."

Greg chews on his lip and he waits for Nick to finish cooking. "I know, Nick. I've always wanted to have kids, I just don't know if I'm ready. And it seems like ever since Walter Gordon, you've been well pushy. Kind of 'I want it and I want it now.'"

Nick sets the plates on the table and sits down next to his boyfriend. "Shit Greg, why didn't you say anything? I had no idea I was coming off that way."

"I didn't want to upset you, Nick. And I figured it would fade some over time."

"Has it?"

"No. That's why I figured it would be best to avoid the topic for now."

"Greg, don't do that anymore. If I'm acting like an ass, tell me."

Greg smirks. "In that case, you were acting like an ass part of the time in Pioche, but all's well that ends well in that one. I already told Sara 'I told you so' for you."

"All's well that ends well? I don't think I'd say that, Greg. Cassie got thrown into a fucking lake and left for dead. Her entire family was murdered. She has no one Greg."

Greg sighs. "You think I don't realize that? I keep avoiding the whole 'kids talk' because I'm scared shitless Nick. I don't know the first thing when it comes to kids unless it's being coddled to death by mommy. As for a baby, I'd be afraid I'd kill it."

"You should have told me that Greg. It's alright to be scared – I am too."

"You? Scared? But all your nieces and nephews – you're a natural Nick."

"I got to hand them back to their parents when they cried or misbehaved. Yeah, I'm good with kids, but it doesn't mean I know how to raise one."

"It's just Cassie has no one and that breaks your heart."

"Yeah."

"I'm not making any promises Nick, but I'll at least consider it."

"That's all I can ask Greg."

* * *

"You just had to go and get attached to the world's cutest kid, didn't you Nicky." Greg had gone with Nick to visit Cassie in the hospital and could easily see how Nick got so attached so quickly.

"Is that a yes, then?"

"If the state lets us – we do have some things working against us."

Nick blushes. "I kinda already looked into that, so I could try and counteract whatever arguments you might have. There are a lot of lawyers in my family you know."

"Don't remind me. I haven't even met them all yet. So what did you find out?"

"The working at nights thing is going to be a bigger deal than the us both being men thing. We won't have to change shifts as long as we take different nights off and prove the reliability of our babysitter."

"And you conveniently have a niece that goes to UNLV. Let me guess, you already talked to her too."

Nick blushes even more. "Guilty as charged. Colleen said she'd be happy to help. And I quote, 'anything to get me out of the god awful dorms.'"

"Looks like we're doing this then."

"Yeah, we are."

* * *

One Year Later

Nick and Greg return to Pioche for the first time since the fateful case that changed their lives forever. Not only were they granted custody of Cassie, they also adopted her.

The three hour trip had actually been Cassie's idea. After Greg had been beaten and nearly killed, she decided she needed to face her own demons. This meant, not only returning to Pioche, but also specifically to the lake that Nick rescued her from.

"We got cute and smart," Greg murmurs to Nick as they watch their daughter sit at the edge of the dock.

"And brave. If it were me, I'd never come back."

"My point exactly. By having us bring her out here she's saying 'you idiots, we all have demons, deal with it.' I have to face mine – I don't have a choice. You and Cassie do, however. Cassie's choosing to face them and I like she's hoping to nudge you in that direction as well."

"When did you get so sensible?"

"When I realized that everything wasn't just about me anymore. It's about us – all three of us."


End file.
